Sick discus, or just the runt?

[LizStreithorst]

Sorry. I forgot.

[danomoseley]

Sorry. I forgot.

No problem, thanks again for the help.

I started the treatment last night and second treatment this afternoon. The temp is up to 88 now and I will raise it up to 90 later tonight.

[LizStreithorst]

[danomoseley]

I am at day 11 now and will continue through tomorrow, and then probably ease the heat back down to 84 over a few days longer.

The sick guy is looking slightly better in the last day or so, expressing a little more interest in food but still spitting most of it back out.

My pH is settling down to about 5.7 now pretty consistently. It went down gradually with each big water change and now is very steady day after day around 5.7-5.8, which makes sense for RO water. After quite a bit of searching around these forums I've found what I think is a consensus that this pH is a pretty good range for them, but also any stable pH is good. Do you agree that 5.7-5.8 is a good place to keep it?

Thanks!

[danomoseley]

2 days past the end of the treatment and unfortunately the sick fish is still acting about the same as before the treatment. Sitting still in the back corner of the tank most of the time and not eating much. I've lowered the temp back down to 88 now.

[brewmaster15]

2 days past the end of the treatment and unfortunately the sick fish is still acting about the same as before the treatment. Sitting still in the back corner of the tank most of the time and not eating much. I've lowered the temp back down to 88 now.

I would place it in a hospital tank Dan and see if you can coax it to eat some live foods.. The problem with parasite infections is they can damage the internal organs, this takes time to heal, and meanwhile the fish isn't feeling well and is feeling vulnerable, which only stresses its immune repair mechanisms more.Its a down ward spiral for some fish.

hth.
al

[fivestar68]

Hi dan, just remember to remove any carbon filters or the metro becomes less effective. If none of your other Discus are not showing any symptoms of sickness I personally with the advise from Kenny at Kenny's Discus would only treat the Discus showing sickness. Also I would advise you to set up a quarantine tank so your plants are not affected by the heat. I always root for the little guys!!!! Best of luck bud! Here are my Discus 3 months later. https://youtu.be/7Zy9Aog0xTk

[danomoseley]

I would place it in a hospital tank Dan and see if you can coax it to eat some live foods.. The problem with parasite infections is they can damage the internal organs, this takes time to heal, and meanwhile the fish isn't feeling well and is feeling vulnerable, which only stresses its immune repair mechanisms more.Its a down ward spiral for some fish.

hth.
al

Thank you for the reply Al. What are your thoughts on using a 20 gallon brute trash can (what I use for water aging) as a hospital tank? I don't have a lot of extra room in the apartment.. What kind of live foods would you recommend?

The fish is acting slightly better today, moving around the tank more and not staying in the corner quite as much. I fed them a freeze dried blackworms cube and the sick fish swam all around the food, sometimes making quick movements toward a floating worm as if about to eat it but then backs away at the last second.

[danomoseley]

About two weeks since the finish of the Metro treatment, the fish is moving around the tank more and eating some but not as much as the others yet. He still stays in one corner a lot of the time, but moves up and down in the water column more than before and definitely moves around the tank more than pre-treatment.

He still has very pale color and fins have begun to deteriorate in the last few days. It doesn't look like fin rot I don't think? Attached are a few photos

Temp - 85°
pH - 6.7
Nitrites - 0
Nitrates - 5
Ammonia - 0
KH - 4°
GH - 3°
Phosphates - 0

IMG_20190311_093150.jpg
IMG_20190311_101823.jpg
IMG_20190311_102040.jpg

[LizStreithorst]

I hate to throw meds and fish but it were my fish I would put it back in the QT tank and treat it with Furan II

[danomoseley]

I hate to throw meds and fish but it were my fish I would put it back in the QT tank and treat it with Furan II

Thanks for the reply Liz, would you just treat the one fish?

[LizStreithorst]

In this case yes. I wish someone else would chime in. I've been around the block a few times but I don't know everything,

[danomoseley]

I'm setting up a 20 gallon hospital tank with a new sponge filter. I'm planning to fill the new tank 50% with water from the main tank.

Can large daily water changes be done while dosing the Furan-2? The instructions say 25% every two days during treatment. I was thinking >80% daily while dosing because the filter isn't cycled.

[danomoseley]

I have done 3 doses of Furan 2 in the HT and will do the final dose tomorrow according to the instructions. I have been doing 50% daily water changes followed by dosing the Furan for the full tank water amount. I'm doing the 50% daily water changes because the sponge filter wasn't full cycled when I set up the HT at the start of the treatment, but I did seed it with an extra filter pad I keep in the bottom of my main tank canister filter.

There has been slightly more deterioration to the dorsal and anal fins. Today I noticed some white fuzzy strands coming off the ventral and anal fins still. The fish is looking generally better in color, moving around more, more responsive to me approaching the tank, and eating live blackworms.

My question is should I complete the treatment with the 4th dose tomorrow or continue for another round?